When we look into deep space, we see a grand opportunity for scientific exploration and learning. The thought of armed conflict with others who want to destroy us doesn’t guide the design of our missions. In the 22nd century, a similar view was seemingly held by Starfleet. The organization was, after all, an outgrowth of the United Earth Space Probe Agency, and as such leaned more toward a NASA-like approach than a military one. But as Archer and his crew quickly found out, the galaxy is a dangerous place. There is little room for naïve, wide-eyed explorers—at least not those who aren’t prepared to defend themselves.

In this episode of Warp Five, Christopher Jones and Norm Lao discuss the gradual weaponization of Starfleet over the course of Enterprise, the threats Earth and the NX-01 crew faced, and how—in keeping with Star Trek’s optimistic view of a better future—mankind found a way to take up arms without crossing the line between self defense and militarism.

Hosts

Christopher Jones and Norman C. Lao

Editor and Producer

Christopher Jones

Associate Producer

Norman C. Lao

Chapters

Wide-Eyed Explorer Mentality (00:03:16)

Learning on the Job (00:08:46)

Where's the Diplomatic Officer? (00:15:03)

The Xindi Wake-up Call (00:23:03)

The Changing Nature of Exploration (00:29:42)

Weaponizing with Restraint (0040:26)

Closing (00:43:26)

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As Star Trek fans, we're all familiar with Starfleet. But the organization we know from the 23rd and 24th centuries is much more that of a spacefaring civilization than the one we see on Enterprise. When fans watch Enterprise for the first time, they are often surprised that some of the officers aboard the NX-01 are uncomfortable in space. Hoshi Sato freaks out because of the direction the stars pass her window. Archer stumbles on his own words when introducing himself to aliens. These aren’t the Starfleet officers we’re accustomed to. But is it fair to expect them to be?

In this episode of Warp Five we’re joined by Norman Lao to discuss the world of the 22nd century, the early years of Starfleet Academy, and what the curriculum might have been like in those days compared to the eras of Kirk and Picard. What would be expected of Starfleet officers in 2151? How would real people of the time react when faced with things that no human had seen before? And how long did it take Starfleet to get its branding right?

Host

Christopher Jones

Guest

Norman C. Lao

Associate Producer

Norman C. Lao

Chapters

Viewer Expectations (2:57)

Civilians and Young Officers in Space (7:19)

Early Starfleet Academy (14:31)

The Class of 2151 (22:58)

Unfair Criticism? (33:53)

Closing and Feedback (45:11)

Send us your feedback!

Twitter: @trekfm

Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm

Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm

Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact

Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm/

Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm

Support the Network!

Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm